Citizen Science in Belize: Part 1/2

/ Phil Karp / 20 Comments
Photo © ReefCI

Photo © ReefCI

It might seem strange to accompany a posting about marine conservation with a photo of a fish on a spear, but in this case, it is entirely warranted.

I recently returned from the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve in Southern Belize, where I spent two weeks working as a volunteer with ReefCI, a NGO dedicated to coral reef ecosystem conservation. Located 30 miles off the coast of Belize on the southern tip of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the second largest in the world, after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef), the Sapodilla Cayes constitute a unique ecosystem.

Along with other volunteers, I assisted the ReefCI marine biologist with population surveys of conch, lobster, and commercial fish species, as well as coral reef health checks. At least one, and sometimes two surveys were carried out each day. The data collected is provided to the Belize Fisheries Department as well as to other cooperating NGOs.

Now about that fish on a spear. One of ReefCI’s projects is lionfish control. Spears Continue reading →

Ramakalmedu – Kerala

/ Salim.E.I / Leave a comment
view point to Bodi

viewpoint to Bodi

Ramakalmedu is a popular nature destination situated along the Thekkady-Munnar road in Kerala. It is known for its green hills, fresh mountain air, and amazing vistas. This hilltop offers panoramic views of the picturesque villages of Bodi and Teni on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats. Continue reading →

If You Happen To Be In San Francisco

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We have plenty of thoughts on Detroit’s current state of affairs, and an occasional post on one oddity or another connected to the city; but only one recent post, and a brief followup, with a direct reference to its cultural heritage. Thanks to Wired for bringing this exhibit to our attention:

…Many famous architects, such as Albert Kahn, helped the city become an architectural hub, and Jarmain’s title, American Beauty, is named after Kahn’s American Beauty Iron Building. Even though Detroit is shrinking and structures are being destroyed almost daily, it still has one of the country’s best collections of late 19th- and early 20th century buildings…

And thanks to the Meridian Gallery for this description of the upcoming exhibit in San Francisco: Continue reading →

Ooty – Tamil Nadu

/ Salim.E.I / Leave a comment
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

Ooty is the most popular hill station in South India, lying in the Nilgiri mountains in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located in the Western Ghats at a height of 2500 meters, Ooty is poetically called the “Queen of Hill stations Picturesque.” Dense jungles, huge inviting lakes, towering mountains, lush greenery and rambling tea gardens make up the landscape. Continue reading →

AguaClara in India

/ Seth Inman / Leave a comment

A water treatment plant construction site in the village of Gufu. Columns for the base of the overhead tank are visible. Photo by Maysoon Sharif.

While some people turn their sweat into water, Cornell student engineers who have previously built eight treatment facilities in Honduras are now expanding into a couple sites in Jharkhand, India. Anne Ju from the Cornell Chronicle reports:

Since its founding in 2005, AguaClara has worked to bring cost-effective, municipal-scale water treatment technologies to communities in Honduras, where more than half the population cannot access safe water. They have partnered with the Honduran nonprofit Agua Para el Pueblo to provide designs and transfer the water treatment technologies to communities. … Continue reading →

Urban Pollinators

/ Organikos / 2 Comments

There are a growing number of websites, like the one above, that simply bring attention to an important issue in the ever-urbanizing world: how important plant life is to human life, and (not incidentally) the importance of how those plants get pollinated.  Click here for perhaps the leading blog on this issue, at least in the UK, which seems to lead the world on paying attention to this issue. The Guardian‘s Alys Fowler is the most consistent supporter in the journalistic world: Continue reading →

Dreamscapes

/ Amie Inman / 2 Comments
Long exposure photo from Wadi Dana, Jordan Credit: Milo Inman

Long exposure photo from Wadi Dana, Jordan
Credit: Milo Inman

Before Vincent van Gogh painted his most iconic work in 1889 I doubt he had access to time-lapse images of the stars over Saint-Remy, but I’m confident there was something in his genius that connected his artistic vision with the realities of the nightly movements between earth and sky.

One look at Indie Producer/Director and timelapse enthusiast Gavin Heffernan’s Death Valley Dreamscapes alongside Petros Vrellis’ innovative animation “Starry Night” was enough to convince me!

Continue reading →

Nehru Trophy Snake Boat Race – 2013

/ Salim.E.I / 1 Comment
Photo credits Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

snake boat race

snake boat race

What is now known as the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, which is held every year at Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on the second Saturday in August, was first held to commemorate the visit of the Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, in 1952. Around 16 boats take part in this fiercely contested event that attracts an enormous number of spectators annually. Continue reading →

Accordion’s Life Line, Alex

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This is another in the series, on the New Yorker‘s website, providing short glimpses into the craft work of New York City. Click here to go to the video and source of this text:

For forty-five years, Alex Carozza has run a small accordion shop near Times Square. It’s one of the last fixtures of the old Music Row on Forty-eighth Street, and Carozza, after a lifetime of repairing musical instruments, still works six days a week while teaching some younger apprentices the skills of the trade. Continue reading →

Writing To Clarify

/ Organikos / Leave a comment

The Washington Post is not one of our go-to sources for interesting stories, but we care deeply about journalism as a pillar of the communities we are involved in. What happens to this particular journalistic institution is of interest because of its perceived influence on policy in an influential community. For that reason, 12 minutes spent listening to the man who led the decision to sell the newspaper to one particular buyer may be worthwhile.  But there is a much better reason to listen to him, and it comes exactly at minute 10 in this interview, when he describes how meetings are conducted at Amazon, and the importance of writing to clear communication.

Monsoon Theyyam

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Karkataka theyyam

Monsoon theyyam

The last month of the Malayalam calendar, Karkatakam (July 17 to August 16) falls towards the end of southwest monsoon and signals the arrival of the Monsoon Theyyam. Karkataka Theyyams are performed by boys under the age of 13. They visit houses and Temples to ward off diseases, hardships and evil spirits that may come during the rainy season. Continue reading →

Global, Local & Perspective

/ Organikos / 1 Comment

We have only mentioned him once before on this site, but we like him more than that.  In less than one minute, he sums up what can sometimes take us years to get right in the development and operation of a conservation resort: framing local phenomena in such a way that reflects value beyond the locale, while avoiding as much as possible the homogenizing effects of globalization. Continue reading →

Sport Beyond The Self

/ Organikos / 1 Comment

The tiresome doping scandals plaguing many sports are rivaled mainly by the ego blasts emanating from winner-take-all superstar players; but this conversation with Edson Arantes do Nascimento (better known as Pelé) has a soothing effect:

Pelé, when you are the best at something how hard is it not to get arrogant about it?

I used to tease the kids because I played better than them. But my father told me, “Don’t do this with the kids because you know how to play football; God gave you the gift to play football. You didn’t do anything. You have to respect people, because it is important to be a good man, a good person.  From now on, you must be this example.” Continue reading →